In various applications, solder must be removed from objects. For example, when performing repairs of a printed circuit board having components soldered to the board, solder must be removed from component leads before a failed component can be removed.
One of the most common tools for solder removal is a solder sucker. One typical solder sucker consists of a cylinder terminating in a nozzle. A spring-loaded piston is positioned within the cylinder and held in place by a catch mechanism. When the catch mechanism is released the spring forces the piston to travel axially within the cylinder away from the nozzle. As the piston moves, a vacuum is created momentarily behind the nozzle. The created vacuum draws air in through the nozzle, creating suction.
Such solder suckers are typically used in conjunction with a heat source, such as a soldering iron. The soldering iron is applied to the solder to be removed thereby causing the solder to liquefy. The nozzle of the solder sucker then is applied to the molten solder and the catch mechanism is released allowing the piston to travel away from the nozzle. The suction created by the traveling piston draws the molten solder through the nozzle and away from the soldered object. While such devices may be produced fairly inexpensively, they require the piston spring to be compressed before each application, usually by forcing the piston to return to its original position. It can be difficult to apply the necessary force to the piston when performing a delicate repair, and doing so increases the period of time that potentially damaging heat must be applied to electronic components.
Other, more sophisticated, solder removal devices combine a heated tip containing a nozzle which melts the solder and an electrically-powered vacuum source. As the heated tip melts the solder, the vacuum source draws the solder through the nozzle and away from the object. Such devices tend to be costly due to their requirement of special tips and electrically-powered vacuum sources. In addition to their relatively high cost, such devices tend to clog, requiring frequent cleaning.